Great day for our first year of participating in the George Washington Birthday Parade!
This is what was announced as we walked by the viewing stand:
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization founded in 1836 on the principles of Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity. The AOH was started in New York to help protect and support clergy, churches, and Irish immigrants. The Frank Herbert-Pat Cady Alexandria Division was established in 2011 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The AOH honors President George Washington for supporting religious freedom by helping his former Aide-de-Camp during the Revolutionary War and Alexandria’s 8th Mayor, Colonel John Fitzgerald, establish St. Mary’s Catholic Church as the first permanent Catholic Parish in the Commonwealth Virginia.